


You're my Favorite

by gothamnight



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Flirting, Jason talks to Tiny Tim and Tim talks to Tiny Jason, Jason thinks Tiny Tim is adorable and wants to hug him, M/M, Pre52
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 19:16:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16793101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothamnight/pseuds/gothamnight
Summary: After talking with each of the other's younger selves, Jason and Tim's relationship changes.





	You're my Favorite

**Author's Note:**

> I never explain why they meet their younger selves. They just do, I didn't want the Fic to become too long, just wanted something short.

Jason was huge. He was at least a head taller than Tim and probably twice as broad and heavy. Their difference was huge, something Tim was very aware of every time he stood next to Jason. But this Jason… he was not _tiny,_ but so short.

So small compared to the Jason Tim knew today. He was only a few inches shorter than Tim and the expression on his face was genuine. A big smile and bright round eyes, his domino mask ditched as soon as he knew Tim already knew about his identity.

"You’re really going to be the next Robin?" Young Jason asked.

"Yes."

"That’s so… _woah._ So cool. I have a whole legacy!" Robin Jason pumped his fist in the air. He was adorable, so excited about hearing that he will have a predecessor. Something the other Jason wasn’t once he found out about Tim being Robin.

This Jason was probably only thirteen and Tim had to admit it pissed him off a little bit that despite their age difference Jason was almost as tall as he was.

"And you’re… Red Robin now?" Jason asked, looking at Tim. His gaze went up and down Tim’s body.

Tim smiled. "Yeah."

"Are we close?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, you’re the Robin after me! Do we team up sometimes?" Jason asked. Tim’s mouth went dry, he didn’t know what to reply. How could he tell this young and cute excited Jason that was still so full of life and happy to see Tim, that his older self probably hated him and when he came back tried to kill Tim?

"Kind of?" They did team up, but it was awkward between them most of the times. Just recently Red Hood and the others have buried whatever has been between them. Jason wasn’t exactly on their side, but he helped them out sometimes. Tim knew he talked with Dick sometimes and Bruce tried his best to get to Jason, but things between him and Jason…

They haven’t started well and they never actually really talked about it ever since. How do you talk about things like that?

"That’s so cool!" Jason gasped. "What’s my new name?"

"Red Hood."

"Red Hood," Jason mouthed breathlessly. "Sounds cool. Red Robin and Red Hood! We match! Oh." Suddenly, the younger guy’s face went red, even the tips of his ears. "Was that… meant to match?"

Tim blinked. Why was he blushing? "Not really."

"Oh." Jason sounded disappointed now. "So, we’re not…"

Tim tilted his head. "Not what?"

"Forget it!" Jason waved him off. "Can you show me anything else?"

Tim hesitated. According to Zatanna this younger Jason will return soon to his timeline with no memory of what happened, as did his younger self that was with Tim right now. Tim didn’t want to think how awkward it would be between young Tim and Jason right now. He couldn’t imagine Jason being good with children, especially not with Tim.

He hated Tim after all.

"Sure," Tim said. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything! Do I- How’s my future? Can I look at myself?"

A time rift would happen if the two Jason’s met, which was why Tim was with Jason and Jason with him. Tim supposed pictures would be okay, but he didn’t want to show Robin Jason that his future self didn’t exactly look like a typical superhero and carried guns with him.

"I don’t think I can do that, Jason, sorry."

"Aw, man, that sucks." Jason sighed and sat down next to Tim. "What about the others? Is Barbara still Batgirl? And Dick? Who’s the current Robin?"

"There’s another Batgirl and yeah, Dick’s still Nightwing. As for Robin, it’s Damian."

"Damian."

"Bruce’ son."

"Bruce has a _son_?! Like, a son son and not just another black haired blue eyed orphan?"

Tim laughed. "I wasn’t exactly an orphan when I became Robin. But no, he’s the child of Bruce and Talia Al Ghul."

Jason’s mouth flew open. "Well, fuck me. Bruce doesn’t know how to wrap it."

Tim laughed again. It was nice talking with Jason like this. "You know," Tim said. "When I was a child, you were my hero."

"Me? No way. I’m just- I’m just Jason and you’re…"

"I’m?"

Jason blushed again. "You’re so cool. And mature and handsome!"

 _Oh_. Tim understood now why Jason was blushing. He had a crush on Tim. On Tim! Jason Todd, Red Hood, the guy who probably still hated Tim’s guts had a crush on him! It was so surreal, Tim didn’t know what to think.

It wasn’t like Tim hated Jason. He has forgiven Jason a long time ago, and always wished for them to get closer. He wanted to get closer to Jason, just like everyone else slowly did. But he couldn’t be scared that Jason might push him away, which he will.

He wanted to know so much about Jason, his childhood hero. And while he knew Jason wasn’t the same as the Jason in front of him anymore, Tim was even more eager to get to know the current Jason. Something about him made Tim drawn to him, despite the awkwardness between them.

"You’re Robin," Tim replied.

Jason blinked before his lips formed into a wide toothy grin. "Damn right I am!"

* * *

Jason shouldn’t be worried.

It was Tim Drake, they weren’t _friends._ But whenever he saw the other guy, he just saw how he overworked himself and lived off of coffee and leftovers which he forgot to eat a lot of times. Not living in the Manor was bad because there was no Alfred to look after him.

Jason shouldn’t be worried, but he was. Sometimes he just wanted to stuff some food in Tim’s hands and tuck him in bed and tell him to get some god damn sleep because the dark circles under his eyes looked scary as fuck and no amount of concealer could hide it.

But he couldn’t because they weren’t close and Tim was probably still scared of him and didn’t want to get close to Jason ever.

It was okay, Jason understood it. He tried to kill him after all. More than once.

But this Tim… he was even tinier. So small, so fragile, his eyes so big in his small face.

"I don’t understand," the small Tim said with an even smaller voice. "I… I’m Robin?"

Jason chewed on the inside of his lips. He needed a cigarette because this wasn’t good for him. He stared at Tiny Tim and wanted nothing more than pick the little guy up and hug him. He was just too adorable, and the fact that he had Tim’s face helped.

"You were Robin," Jason corrected him. "You’re not anymore."

"But… why me. I’m just… I’m just _Tim._ "

The short boy really didn’t seem to understand it, fumbling with his hands on his laps.

"Just Tim?" Jason raised his eyebrows. "I heard you found out who Batman and Robin were all by yourself."

Tim looked down. "That wasn’t that hard. Anyone who had been there would know."

Jason let out a deep laughter. "Look, kid, they didn’t."

"I’m not a kid."

Jason had to hold back another laughter. Not a kid? This child could barely reach his hips! "Right. What I’m saying isn’t that you’re not just some kid. Guess you were really brilliant, I mean, hell. If a kid like you’d ask me, I’d make you Robin too."

Jason stopped. What did he say? Saying like Tim was a perfect Robin, like Jason didn’t go crazy over the fact Bruce had a new Robin.

He was right though, this short little guy was smart. He found out about Batman and Robin while the rest of the world was still trying to figure it out.

"Really?" Tim asked, "do you… Are we maybe friends?"

Jason hesitated. "Yeah," he lied.

Finally, small Tim gave him a smile. Such a cute smile. "You’re my favorite, you know!"

"Me? What about Dickie?"

"Dick? Uh… I don’t know. Maybe because I was older when you were Robin. I take a lot of pictures of you!"

"Damn, Timmy, you’re my stalker?"

Small Tim looked down. "No, I just…"

"How did you even take pictures of me?"

"I sneaked out at night," Tim explained.

"What? Damn, where are your parents, kiddo?"

"They’re not home," Tim said. "It’s okay, Mrs. Mac comes about three times a week to check on me!"

 _What._ He was so small and living all alone by himself? Damn, Jason felt guilty. More than just guilty. Tim was so innocent, so good and he deserved better. Better than those horrible parents that just let him alone with a housekeeper that wasn’t even there most of the times and better than Jason.

How could he hurt this guy in the future? Yeah, back then Jason hadn’t been in his right mind, but the guilt ate him now more than ever.

"Jason?" Tim asked.

"Yeah?"

"Am I a good Robin?"

Jason smiled. "Yeah. An even better Red Robin. Need to eat more though and take care of yourself. And no sneaking out to take pictures, alright, kiddo!"

Tiny Tim giggled and his small laugh made Jason’s heart melt. "Okay!"

* * *

It was two days after the incident with their younger selves that Tim and Jason crossed paths during patrol at night. After fighting against a group of muggers together, they sat down on top of a high building, looking down at Gotham at night.

Jason broke the silence between them, a silence they should be used to by now, but weren’t.

"Tiny You was cute," he said.

"Tiny Me," Tim repeated.

Jason shrugged, huffing out a short laughter. "Yeah. He was way too small for a kid that age."

Tim turned to him and his eyes widened in disbelief. He had his cowl on, but when you’ve known a certain man with a cowl for years who barely shows his emotions, you learn how to read the face behind it.

"Since when do you know so much about children?"

"I don’t, but… T- Red. I’m sorry."

"What?"

"Don’t make me say it again." Jason looked away, focusing his eyes on somewhere on the horizon.

"Why are you apologizing? What for?"

"I don’t know? Say something I shouldn’t apologize for. For being such an ass to you when I came back and almost killing you," Jason said. "I never apologized."

"I didn’t think you cared," Tim said.

Ouch. Of course, Tim didn’t need his apology, he probably didn’t even want to be here with Jason. And yet he was. They didn’t even patrol, they didn’t search the streets for cries of help, they just sat next to each other, watching the Gotham they’ve sworn to protect.

Why?

"Obviously I know I was an ass," Jason said.

"Why now?"

"Dunno. I saw your younger self and I felt like such… You were so small, Red. So vulnerable. How was I so mad at you? You were my biggest fan after all." Jason grinned at Tim, who quickly looked away. Wait, was he embarrassed.

"I was a child, like you said," Tim said. "You were really infatuated with me too."

"Huh?"

Tim licked his lips before he smiled. "Tiny You had a crush on me."

Jason tried to process the words and cursed. "Tiny Me is a little shit and needs to learn how to hide his emotions," Jason replied. Tim laughed. His laughter was so different from the small giggle his younger self had shown, but it was endearing none the less. Jason couldn’t help but smile. "Can’t blame him, though. At least I had taste."

Red Robin’s mouth opened, but no words came out. "Hood-"

 _Shit,_ did he just flirt with Red Robin? "Forget it. I just wanted to apologize," Jason quickly changed the topic. "I know you don’t want to hang out with me and hate me, I can’t blame you. You don’t need to, fuck, I don’t know, accept the apology. I just needed it to be said."

He wanted to get up, but Tim grabbed his jacket. "Wait. You think I hate you?"

"Uh, yeah? Of course you do." He’d be crazy if he didn’t.

"I don’t hate you. I thought you hate _me_!"

"Why the fuck would I do that?"

Tim tilted his head. "I don’t know, maybe because you’ve tried to kill me?"

"Touché, babybird. I don’t though. And you…"

"Hood, I’ve forgiven you a long time ago."

"Red, your survival instincts are horrible. You shouldn’t forgive me so easily," Jason said. Tim shouldn’t forgive him, he shouldn’t be sitting so close to Jason and Jason shouldn’t think he was adorable and cute and have the same need to hug him as he had with his younger self.

Tiny Tim really messed with Jason’s head.

"I do, though. And I’m glad you don’t hate me. I know it’s… awkward between us, but thank you." Tim smiled and Jason cursed how much he liked Tim’s smile. How had he been so blind before?

"Cool." Jason got up again, this time Tim didn’t hold him back. "Let’s… Patrol together sometime." He awkwardly shuffled to get his grappling gun and like an _idiot_ scratched the back of his helmet.

"I’d like that."

Shit, why did that sound like a date? And why was Jason so excited about it?

"And eat more, kid."

Tim rolled his eyes behind his cowl and Jason grinned. "Only if you take me out," Tim said. Damn, babybird was daring and flirting back.

Jason coughed and swallowed hard. "Yeah, but we’re going all out. No eating fucking salad or something. See you, Red." And with those words, he swung into the dark night of Gotham.


End file.
